Yarn treating apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing a filament interlaced yarn comprises a cylindrical roller mounted for rotation on an axis extending at an angle to its longitudinal central axis. The yarn is pulled over the roller at right angles to the axis of rotation and rotation of the roller causes the yarn to roll back and forth across the face of the roller. The rolling of the yarn produces alternately S and Z twist which causes the filaments to become interlaced or tangled to a degree that the yarn can be used in ordinary textile operations without further twisting.

llnitod States Patent Guy [451 ,lan.l8,1972

[54] YARN TREATWG APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Warren H. Guy, Glen Mills, Pa.

[73] Assignee: FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa. [22] Filed: Apr. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 28,362

[5 2] 11.5). C1 ..57/77.4 [51] Int. Cl ..D02g 1/08 [58] Field 01 Search ..57/5 l5l.6, 77.3-77.45

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,216,147 2/1917 Lipps ..57/77.4 2,988,867 6/1961 Quittner... ..57/77.4 X

3,228,181 1/1966 Paterson 3,327,461 6/1967 Wyatt ..57/77.4X 3,377,792 4/1968 Wallsetal. ..57/77.3

Primary Examiner-Donald E. Watkins Attorney-Thomas R. O'Malley, George F. Mueller and Charles H. Johnson ABSTRACT Apparatus for producing a filament interlaced yarn comprises a cylindrical roller mounted for rotation on an axis extending at an angle to its longitudinal central axis. The yarn is pulled over the roller at right angles to the axis of rotation and rotation of the roller causes the yarn to roll back and forth across the face of the roller. The rolling of the yarn produces alternately S and Z twist which causes the filaments to become interlaced or tangled to a degree that the yarn can be used in ordinary textile operations without further twisting.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing mules YARN TREATING APPARATUS This invention relates to improved apparatus for making a coherent, compact, multifilament yarn or the like filamentary structure which is suitable for use in normal textile operations without the necessity of a true twisting operation.

Even continuous filament yarns have long been twisted so as to cause the filaments to remain close together in a compact bundle whereby to greatly facilitate the handling thereof in ordinary textile operations such as knitting, weaving and the like. However, twisting calls for expensive equipment, is a relatively slow operation and often results in some damage to the yarn. Various procedures have been developed for treating a running yarn so as to entangle or interlace the filaments whereby the coherence of the strand is increased to a point where a twisting operation can be eliminated. Some of these treating procedures involve the use of large quantities of compressed air which is jetted against the yarn and such procedures, particularly because of the use of compressed air, are notable items of expense. Strictly mechanical apparatuses have also been developed and one form of such apparatus is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,228,181 as involving imparting alternating false S and Z twist to a running multifilament strand. Mechanical coherency imparting apparatus is generally less expensive to operate than compressed air systems, at least while operating normally. However, mechanical apparatus is apt to be of such a nature that is not only costs more initially but is subject to expensive breakdown.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified mechanical apparatus for imparting alternating S and Z false twist to a running multifilamentstrand of zero or low twist, whereby the filaments become interlaced and cohere together to render the strand suitable for nonnal textile operations.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of certain preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a preferred form of the apparatus;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing progressive stages of rotation of a cylindrical roller forming a principal element of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic end elevational view illustrating the axis of rotation of the cylindrical roller;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a slightly modified fonn of roller; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic end elevational view of a roller having a modified axis of rotation.

In that form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, the apparatus includes a cylindrical roller or drum 10 which may be rotatably mounted on a shaft 11 but which is preferably secured to said shaft which in turn is rotatably supported in suitable bearings, not shown. Shaft 11, the longitudinal center line of which forms the axis of rotation of roller 10 extends at an angle to the longitudinal central axis of the roller, said longitudinal axis being indicated in FIG. 1 by the broken line 12. As viewed in FIG. 1, both the axis of rotation and the longitudinal central axis of the roller lie in the plane of the paper and these two axes cross one another substantially midway between the ends of the roller. As can be seen in FIG. 6, shaft ll lies in a diarnetrical plane of the roller. Because of the angle between the two axes, the roller turns with a wobbling motion and in FIG. 1, said roller is shown in solid and dotted lines at rotated positions 180 apart.

Guides 13 and 14 are located on opposite sides of roller 10 on a line substantially transversely bisecting the roller and extending at right angles to shaft 11. Said guides are located out of tangential alignment with the roller and toward the centerline of the roller whereby a filamentary structure such as a yarn 15 running between the guides is deflected from a straight-line path and held in contact with a portion of the surface of the roller. The yarn to be treated in a continuous multifilament structure of zero or low twist and after passing through guide 14 the yarn may proceed to a traverse mechanism 16 and be wound without twisting on a package 17. If desired, the yarn can be subjected to various standard textile operations after passing guide 14 and before being packaged.

Shaft II, to which roller 10 is preferably secured, may be mounted for free rotation to be imparted thereto by the yarn 15 being drawn thereover or said shaft may be provided with means such as a gear 18 whereby a positive drive or a braking effect may be applied.

Assuming FIG. 2 to show roller 10 in a starting position, it will be seen that yarn 15 engages the roller approximately midway between the ends thereof and that though bowed out around the roller as shown in FIG. 6, with the roller in the FIG. 2 position, the yarn lies in a plane perpendicular to the paper. FIG. 3 shows roller 10 as rotated in the direction of the arrow from the FIG. 2 position and it will be seen that yarn 15 is no longer in a plane perpendicular to the paper and that it engages the roller near the left-hand end thereof. After another 90 of rotation, the roller reaches the position shown in FIG. 4 and the yarn has moved back across the face of the roller to again engage it approximately midway between the ends. After another 90 of rotation, the roller reaches tightly attitudeshown in FIG. 5 and it will be seen that the yarn has now moved from engagement midway between the ends of the roller to a position near the right hand end thereof. Another 90 of rotation from the FIG. 5 position takes the roller through the completion of a full revolution and restores it to the FIG. 2 position.

Preferably the surface of roller 10 is relatively smooth although not highly polished so that the yarn rolls on itself as it progresses back and forth across the face of the roller. As the yarn rolls in one direction across the roller S-twist is imparted to it and as it rolls the other direction Ztwist is imparted. These alternating S and Z twists are, of course, false twists but they bring about a rearrangement of the filaments of the strand and cause the filaments to cross over one another and become tangled or interlaced to such an extent that the elements of the strand cohere together to render the strand useful for ordinary textile operations without further twisting. Among the factors affecting the actual amount of false twist and the resultant amount of filament interlacing are the running speed of the yarn, the rotational or rather the peripheral speed of the roller and the angle between the axis of rotation and the longitudinal central axis of the roller. To irnpart what might be termed a medium amount of filament interlacing, roller 10 can be mounted for free rotation imparted thereto by the running yarn. A lesser degree of twisting and filament interlacing results when a braking action is applied to the roller so that it wobbles more slowly and the yarn moves back and forth across its face more slowly. More frequent changes of twist direction and more severe twisting are impatted when the roller is positively driven at a higher speed than would be imparted by the running strand.

The wobbling of the roller constantly changes the length of the yarn path between guides 13 and I4 and brings about tension variations in the yarn. In order to prevent this tension variation from being too severe, the angle between the axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis of the roller should be less than about 20.

FIG. 7 shows a slightly modified form of roller designated at 20. Roller 20 is in the form of a hollow cylinder having holes 21 providing a foraminous periphery. The roller 20 is supported by a shaft 22 in the same manner that roller 10 is supported by shaft ill. However, shaft 22 is hollow and opens in the interior of drum 20 whereby a gas such as air may be introduced under pressure into the interior of the drum. The pressurized gas escapes through the holes 21 to impinge upon the yarn as it passes over the roller. This jetting of gas against the yarn results in a greater degree of filament disarray for any given false twist provided by the rolling of the yarn over the face of the roller.

FIG. 8 shows a modified manner of mounting the roller. in this figure the roller is indicated at 25, its longitudinal central axis at 26 and its axis of rotation is a shaft 27. Shaft 27 lies at an angle to the central axis of the roller but unlike the shafts 11 and 22, shaft 27 does not lie in a diametrical plane of the roller and, therefore, does not intersect axis 26. This manner of mounting causes the roller to exert greater differences in yarn tension as it rotates and is useful, for example, to produce a yarn having variations in denier or so-called thick and thin yarn.

Having thus described certain preferred embodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for treating a running filamentary structure comprising a rotatably mounted cylindrical roller, guides on opposite sides of said roller, said guides being located on a line substantially transversely bisecting said roller and at right angles to the axis of rotation of said roller, said guides being out of tangential alignment with said roller whereby a filamentary structure running between said guides is deflected from a straight-line path and held in contact with a portion of the surface of said roller, the axis of rotation of said roller extending at an angle to the longitudinal central axis thereof whereby rotation of said roller causes the filamentary structure passing thereover to roll back and forth across the face of the roller to thereby impart alternating S and Z twist to the filamentary structure.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of the roller lies in a diametrical plane of the roller.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of the roller does not lie in a diametrical plane of the roller.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said axes cross one another substantially midway between the ends of said roller.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein said axes lie at an angle to one another of less than about 20.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said roller is hollow and has a foraminous surface, and means for introducing a gas under pressure into the interior of said roller so that said gas escapes through the foraminous surface and impinges on the filamentary structure passing over the roller.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said roller is freely rotatable and is rotated by the action of the filamentary structure passing thereover.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 comprising means for controlling the speed of rotation of said roller. 

1. Apparatus for treating a running filamentary structure comprising a rotatably mounted cylindrical roller, guides on opposite sides of said roller, said guides being located on a line substantially transversely bisecting said roller and at right angles to the axis of rotation of said roller, said guides being out of tangential alignment with said roller whereby a filamentary structure running between said guides is deflected from a straight-line path and held in contact with a portion of the surface of said roller, the axis of rotation of said roller extending at an angle to the longitudinal central axis thereof whereby rotation of said roller causes the filamentary structure passing thereover to roll back and forth across the face of the roller to thereby impart alternating S and Z twist to the filamentary structure.
 2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of the roller lies in a diametrical plane of the roller.
 3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of the roller does not lie in a diametrical plane of the roller.
 4. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said axes cross one another substantially midway between the ends of said roller.
 5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein said axes lie at an angle to one another of less than about 20* .
 6. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said roller is hollow and has a foraminous surface, and means for introducing a gas under pressure into the interior of said roller so that said gas escapes through the foraminous surface and impinges on the filamentary structure passing over the roller.
 7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said roller is freely rotatable and is rotAted by the action of the filamentary structure passing thereover.
 8. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 comprising means for controlling the speed of rotation of said roller. 